Local Volunteers Helping in Belize

Right is Pastor Binda, who works from Mississauga, Ontario with local Navin. Many generous donors from the local area made it possible to assist Pastor Binda. In the picture, Navin and Pastor Binda are thanking the Millbrook Pharmacy for their generous support. Photo supplied.

Right is Pastor Binda, who works from Mississauga, Ontario
with local Navin. Many generous donors from the local area
made it possible to assist Pastor Binda. In the picture, Navin
and Pastor Binda are thanking the Millbrook Pharmacy for
their generous support. Photo supplied.

 

The year 2016 marks the fifth year for local volunteers to travel to Belize. As a result of the generosity of local donors who support the annual dinner/auction, donating cash, soccer equipment, school supplies and Wayne Blaby whose organization is collecting used laptops and refurbishing them, the Belize project was a great success.

This year the team delivered assistance to 12 schools which included 600 pounds of rice, 500 pounds of red beans, 125 pounds of chicken, four laptops, 80 fruit trees and especially cash donations helped 397 students to remain in school because the donations were used to pay their school fees.

From his operating base in Mississauga, Pastor Binda manages a retreat in Belize for families in transition by providing them with housing, food and clothing. The donated materials are sent to Belize in 40 foot containers. So far, Pastor Binda has built three homes within the six acre compound. Originally, the plan was to operate an orphanage for children whose parents abandoned them or children who lost their parents. Delays due to government bureaucracy caused Pastor Binda to change the goal from providing an orphanage to that of providing a transition home, similar to Ontario’s Crossroad Shelter program.

Navin and Pastor Binda are standing beside fruit trees brought to the compound by Bev Hilditch from Cedar Valley, Jackie Van’t Voort, a candidate for minister and Andy, a retired tree planter. The ultimate goal for the property is to provide the basic food needs of the residents.

All donations received by the Belize team are used to help people in Belize, with a focus on school children. None of the donations are used for administration expenses. The volunteers pay all their own expenses and this year the Belizean hosting agent helped with some of the volunteer’s expenses.

In Belize, all children from pre-school to university must pay an annual school fee or they are not permitted to take the final exams and receive a diploma. Their school fees are used to buy school supplies, pay for electricity, if electricity is available and supply toilet paper for the washroom.

By Andy Harjula

Tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply